


Aliferous

by Tien



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: M/M, Wing AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-10-11 15:14:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10467972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tien/pseuds/Tien
Summary: Aliferous: Adjective: Of having wings, winged. To have wings.Basically the plot of Fallout 4 but everyone has wings.And also I'm messing with some canon events to add some flavor, nothing huge.





	

Massachusetts was beautiful in the fall. The leaves started to change colors in mid-September and by the time October rolled around the hills and countryside were transformed into a blazing sea of oranges and reds. The green grasses and clear blue skies contrasted the trees perfectly; it made a stunning sight to behold. And people flocked to the area every year to witness nature’s beauty.

Nate wasn’t immune to the call of the wild and loved autumn with as much vigor and enthusiasm as the tourists that clogged the roads and skies around the more popular forests. He and Nora took every available chance to be out among the trees in the bright sunlight, provided Shaun didn’t need their attention. Today they flew side by side and enjoyed the crisp air and gently gusting winds. They weren’t alone either; all around them were splashes of colors. Blue wings, brown wings, wings of red and orange that matched the leaves below, there were people with dark purple feathers that looked black until the sunlight caught them just right, the whole rainbow seemed to be present around them. The others dipped and looped and glided high above on air currents. Sometimes Nate wasn’t sure which was more beautiful, the fiery leaves below or the spectacle of colored wings above. In the end it didn’t matter, as long as there were vibrant colors of some kind he was happy.

“Hey, Nate?” Nora said and dipped a bit closer. Some of her thick, dark hair had come loose from its tie and whipped around her face. “Are you sure Shaun will be ok? We’ve never been gone this long.” 

“Are you kidding? He’s with Codsworth, you know how much he loves that robot,” Nate replied and gently brushed the tip of his wing against hers. “He won’t even notice we are gone.” 

“He does do a wonderful job with him, I was surprised honestly.” 

Nate grinned and said, “You know what he always says,” he put on his best English accent, “General Atomics finest! Made to serve Sir!” 

“Right, right, how could I ever forget?” Nora dropped down so she could slide underneath her husband. They beat their wings in synch with each other and flew across the country side. “Hey,” she said again and angled her wings so she could flip around on her back in an impressive display of control. “I love you.” 

Nate looked down at her and his eyes sparkled with love and pride. “I love you too,” he said and folded his wings into a dive. He wrapped his arms around her when they collided and Nora tucked her wings against her back so they’d start to fall. They held their embrace, their foreheads touched; their mouths were open in smiles as the world spun around them in a dizzying blur or red and blue. He kissed her softly on the lips and she locked her legs around his. It was a dazzling display of love and trust and a maneuver they did so frequently it was like gliding. 

He broke the kiss and stuck his left wing out to stop the spin before he unfurled both to catch the air and pull them back like a parachute. Normally the extra weight would be a concern but not for Nate, and not today. The winds were strong and his large blue wings were stronger. They fanned out behind him and carried them high into the air. He lowered Nora so she hung from his arms and dropped her. She fell a few feet before she snapped open her wide black wings and drifted back up towards Nate. “That’s always exhilarating,” she said when she was close enough for Nate to hear. 

Nate could only nod in response. 

“You’re such a show off sometimes,” she said with a laugh. “You could have waited until we were someplace more private.” She was very aware that some people were staring at them, some in jealousy, and some in admiration. Not everyone was comfortable with locking together and free falling.

“Yeah but I felt like now was the moment, you know how I am, I can’t let a moment slip by.” And that was true. When he joined the military he became acutely aware of how precious moments could be. You never knew which mission could be your last and you had no idea if the long distance call with your wife could be the final time you hear her voice. Nate took a deep breath of the clean air and expanded his chest as far as it could go. He wanted to fill himself with the peaceful beauty of the world because with international tensions rising it might not be like this for long. Something soft brushed against the underside of his wings and looked down at Nora who had flown up dangerously close. 

“Oh Nate…I didn’t mean to take you someplace dark. Come on, let’s have some fun.” She dove downward, her short rounded wings made her exceptionally good at quick maneuvering. Even though Nate wouldn’t admit it, she could fly circles around his larger clumsier build. That never stopped Nate from trying to out fly her though, and she smiled when a blur of blue sped past her towards the tree line. 

Nate could pour on speed, being heavier with pointed wing tips but his speed caused more stress on his back and shoulders when he had to come up out of the dive. His wings snapped opened just above the trees and he struggled to maintain his forward momentum and distance from the tree tops. Nora streaked by him, a quick black shape that got closer to the leaves than anyone else. 

She dipped her arm down and let her hand slap against the leaves. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling; it was sharp and quick and made her feel her speed. She felt alive. She tore a handful of leaves from one of the trees as she flew by and angled back upward. When she glanced behind her she had to suppress a laugh. Nate was furiously pumping his wings up and down to try to catch up. A gust of wind blew them both back but allowed Nate to finally catch a break. 

He spread his wings wide, stretching his primaries out and feeling them cut through the air and send him upward. From there he could dive and pull up much easier and make use of large wingspan. He would watch with a smile on his face as Nora dove and wove around him. He would try to move with her, and sometimes against her, it was like they were dancing in the air. He laughed when she flew above him only to twist herself around and dive just in front of him. Before she passed his face she dropped the handful of leaves she was carrying so they blew into his face. 

Nate swatted them away and in a few powerful strokes rose high above the trees and everyone else. They were leaving the more populated area and gliding far from the others. Most people were here for a leisurely fly along the forest, not to engage in complex aerobatics. Nora caught up to him, she was breathing hard but there was a smile on her face and light in her eyes. It was almost like the first time they met. 

They were both still in college back then. Nate was struggling to figure out his place in the world and Nora was mostly through a law degree. She cut him off one day while he was gliding across campus. She was running late and sweat slicked her hair back and her wings were ruffled in annoyance. Nate was daydreaming and staring at the brightly colored leaves. He was so surprised he nearly fell from the sky from the lost momentum and lack of flapping. She apologized and rushed off to class after making sure he was ok. Nate absentmindedly followed her and soared high above the building that she disappeared into. When she came back out, two hours later, he dove down to introduce himself. He had no idea why, plenty of people had cut him off before, it wasn’t anything special. But he saw something in her eyes that caught his attention and he wanted to talk to her. Well, he wanted to ask her if she wanted to talk to him. 

She recognized him as he drew closer and another apology was already leaving her lips. “No, no,” he said, “It’s ok. I’m not mad. I was just wondering if you had some time to fly with me.” 

He was awkward and she was flustered but they flew together across campus until they reached the building where Nora had her next class. They kept passing each other in the daily routines and Nate would wave a wing and she’d wave back. There wasn’t much the two had in common class wise, with Nate going for mechanical engineering and Nora for law, but the more they passed each other the more they talked. And talking lead to coffee, and from coffee there were long flights above the trees. Nate had never been good at courting a mate, not like the others he saw. But Nora found it charming and he asked her out one night while they were leaf watching. 

Now they were happily married with a son and a cute little house and a dog that ran away frequently. Not everything was like a storybook and they had their fair share of problems, like most couples. But they had love and faith in each other and that was enough to let them fly through the worst of weather. 

Nora brushed her wing against Nate’s and said, “Sweetheart I’m beat. This has been great but I think we should head home now.” 

Nate agreed and together they banked gracefully to the side and turned around. The flight home was pleasant; they didn’t try to one up each other or do anything fancy. They just flew side by side, wing tips brushing with each alternating down beat.From high above they could see all the other people leaf watching below. Their bright wings highlighted by the trees they few above. 

They approached Sanctuary Hills and Nate led their descent down. It was still fairly early in the day and he spotted the glittering waters of the stream out back behind their house. That was when he decided to change his path head for the water. He splashed down far less gracefully than his wife. The water was cold and clear and felt wonderful on their hot wings. Nate dunked under and came up to push his hair back and ruffle his feathers. They both would dip under and spread water through their wings with a shake. 

Nate couldn’t help himself; he submerged one of his wings to create a massive wave of water to send towards Nora. She laughed and splashed back, both her wings pumping the stream water up into the air. They both knew they were acting like children, but what was the point of growing up if you couldn’t have any fun? They were adults, sure, but they fought enough battles to earn a bit of fun. So they kept splashing each other, kept laughing, and kept swimming around. The water wasn’t deep in the stream so neither of them could jump from a tree or dive from the air into the water without risking serious injury. In the summer they’d dive down into the small lake near their home. It the best way to cool off in the hot July heat. 

When they were done washing their wings and splashing each other they climbed out of the creek, soaking and smiling. Nate took Nora’s hand and led her to a patch of grass where they could sit in the sun and dry off a bit. Nora sat down first and Nate followed in close behind her. His instantly started working through her feathers. She flexed and then let them go limp so Nate had easy access to all the layers. He always started at the scapulars and moved outwards. Nora relaxed into his touch and enjoyed the feeling of his fingers moving through her feathers. He was always so gentle, and so thorough. 

It was moments like this that made everything they had gone through worth it. She knew Nate would agree. Because there was a time after he got back from the Alaskan Front that she feared he’d never be kind again. The pyscho made him aggressive and violent to the point where he had to be restrained and taken away. She knew it wasn’t him in there, she knew it was the drugs and the chemicals they pumped into the soldiers to force them to do unspeakable things. The war machine took decent humans and spat out monsters. She knew this, but still she had him taken away for treatment. A pregnant woman couldn’t risk the safety of her child, even if it meant sending the love of her life away. 

It took Nate five long months to get sober and for the withdrawal symptoms to become manageable. She visited him often at the start of his treatment and it broke her heart to see him foaming at the mouth with rage, wings raised in a threat display and his feathers lifted so much they pulled his shirt up. She hated seeing those soft eyes overcome with fury and his beautiful blue wings bound with leather. Nora stopped visiting after that. She waited until his treatment had progressed. That was almost worse. After the anger, the hate and the blind rage had left he was nothing but an empty shell.

She would spend hours there, just sitting with him, talking to him. His feathers were dull and his wings had lost much of their muscle strength. They clipped his primaries, they clipped the primaries of all patients, so they couldn’t fly away. It was a long time before he would speak to her. The first words that tumbled from his mouth were apologies. Apologies for striking her, for making her cry, for missing the birth of their son, and for putting her through all of this. And she would coo softly and keep preening his dull feathers. Nora understood. 

After he was released from treatment he got a little better. He opened up about what the military made him do. He would talk about doing fly over missions where they’d carry bombs in their hands and drop them on camps while the enemy was asleep. How they used the ones with the darkest wings, the darkest skin to maximize the chances of going undetected. He told her how the psycho made them fearless and bloodthirsty and eager to kill. The power armor made them feel like gods, like they were indestructible. The environment turned them into things they weren’t and after everything they went through they were just shipped back into civilian life with a few medals pinned to their uniform and a brain that was adrift in a sea of chemically induced rage. Almost his entire Flock ended up in treatment with him. Some had arrived before, some after, and some never made it that far. He left flowers and feathers by their graves.

But things got better, even the darkest skies clear eventually. He had a son, who babbled and giggled and loved to be held, he had a wife that stood by him when everyone had run, and he had a future. He was one of the lucky ones. And Nora knew it. When he would preen her wings gently, carefully, and coo back she knew he’d come back to her. She knew everything would be ok.

Nora shifted and faced Nate so he could do the front of her wings and she in turn could do his. They didn’t speak much during a preening session; they let their hands do the talking. The sun warmed their feathers and skin while the breeze played with their hair. Nate placed a hand on Nora’s face and cupped her cheek so he could caress her dark skin gently. “We should head home,” he said softly. 

“But I haven’t done your back yet,” she protested and tugged on a primary. “I can’t leave you half groomed.” 

Nate sighed and agreed. He laid flat on his stomach and stretched his wings out wide for Nora to work through. She was equally gentle when preening, even when she had to pull a damaged feather. And Nate tended to have a few damaged feathers. He used his wings far more often than she did so they had more wear and tear than hers. “This is nice,” he said when he could feel her finishing up.

“It is.” 

“Ready to get back to the real world though?” He asked with a laugh. 

“Oh yes,” she said. “I can’t wait to get back to poopy diapers, dirty laundry and the chaos that is grocery shopping.” 

“Hey,” Nate turned his head and looked over at his wife. “I’ll do the laundry today and I volunteer as tribute to make a store run.” 

“Oh god really?”

“Really, really” he said.

“You are the best.” 

“I try.” 

She helped Nate up from the grass and together they walked towards their house. It was a cute blue one story with a hardly used car parked on the side. Nora tried planting flowers around the front to add some curb appeal but her green thumb wasn’t as good as her husbands. Nate had a rather impressive vegetable garden in the backyard. Neither of them had to worry about landscaping anymore, Codsworth handled that. 

He was a blessing. Nora had complained enough to the right government agencies to get a Domestic Mr. Handy for free, in exchange for the damage done to her husband and the amount of time he would be away. She was pregnant and a lawyer, a combo any smart person wouldn’t want to mess with. Their home was complementary from the government as well. All of Sanctuary Hills was. Each home housed a family with at least one member in active duty or had just returned home. 

Nate had come home heavily decorated which also earned them free deluxe food rations for the whole family. To Nora it was hardly enough to offset the nightmares that Nate would wake up from and the terror in his eyes when he was reliving something she’d never understand. But it was a start and as a young family they were thankful for any leg up they could get. The world had become such a desperate, terrible place.

“Welcome home Sir! Mum!” Codsworth’s cheery voice greeted them as they stepped inside. “Coming in through the front door for once I see?” Normally they landed on the roof’s flight deck and used the door there. Nate was overjoyed when he learned this house had been built with one. He couldn’t wait for his flight feathers to grow back in so he could use it. 

“Yes we went for a little swim after watching the leaves.” 

“And how were the leaves? Still attached to the trees I hope?” 

“Of course, they won’t drop for a few more weeks,” Nora started moving towards Shaun’s room. “How’s he been?” 

“Sleeping like a baby,” Codsworth said. “Which is an odd euphemism. I’ve come to learn that babies are very fussy sleepers.” 

Nora laughed and opened the nursey door. Nate moved to follower her through but she stuck out a wing and blocked the doorway. “Nuh uh, somebody promised me a load of laundry of groceries. Work first, play later.” 

“Right, right, on it.” Nate disappeared into their bedroom and collected their dirty laundry hamper and then hauled it into the room next to Shaun’s nursery. Codsworth hovered by the door and was about to ask to take over when Nate cut him off. “If you do everything for us we’ll get far too lazy.” 

“Ah but I live to serve! Nothing would please me more than to see you become, as you put, lazy.” 

He dumped the basket out and started sorting out the whites from the colors. “Tell you what buddy; could you go water the gardens out back? I’m afraid I won’t have time before the sun reaches its peak.” 

“As you wish Sir! I shall even pull any pesky weeds that I see as well.” He disappeared down the hall and out of sight as Nate threw a load of colors in. They were mostly shirts and a few pairs of shorts. The washing cycle usually took an hour; it wouldn’t be enough time to make a full store run, but pretty close. After he added the soap and turned the dial he headed back to the nursey. 

“Hey, how is he?” He said and leaned against the doorframe. 

“Sleeping still, Codsworth said he ate about an hour ago.” 

“Good, good,” Nate smiled and moved across the room to hold Nora’s hand and look down at their son. Shaun’s wings, like all new born infants, didn’t have feathers. They were small and folded up behind his shoulder blades. “He’s beautiful,” he said. Nora nodded and rested her head against Nate. “What color do you think his feathers will be?” 

“Mmmm, I hope they’re blue, like yours. It’s such a pretty color.” 

“I was hoping they’d be black like yours, he already has your beautiful skin.” 

“Yeah but he has your big, dumb, puppy eyes.” 

Nate chuckled and pressed a kiss to Nora’s head. “Well this big, dumb, puppy is going to head to the store. Is there anything you need?” 

“No, I’m set. We’re out of vegetables, fruit, bread, milk and eggs.” 

“Wow, anything we’re not out of?” 

Nora nodded. “Yeah, instant coffee, charcoal for the grill, frozen meat and cheese. Get a few cans of juice too, oh and another package of diapers.” 

“Do we need wipes?” 

“Check the cabinet Nate, I can’t remember everything.” 

“Sure, sure.” He bent down and took stock, adding wipes and powder to his metal list.

“Are you going to fly?” She asked, even though she already knew the answer.

“Yeah, it’s quicker than the car. We don’t need too much this week, I should be able to carry it all,” he said confidently. “I’ll be back in about an hour, provided I don’t get stabbed at the checkout.”

“Don’t even joke,” Nora said following Nate out into the hallway. She closed the door and watched Nate strap a bag to his chest. “Be careful, we both need you home in one piece.” 

“Of course, see you soon,” he said and ascended the ladder near the side door. From there he pushed open their ceiling door and climbed up onto the roof. A long landing strip ran along the roof and extended out like an old pirate ship plank. The extra twenty feet was useful for taking off, especially for someone with large wings like Nate. He adjusted the straps on his bag and rolled his shoulders a bit to loosen up. He shook out his wings to align any misplaced feathers and stretched his primaries out. Then he started running. He didn’t start pumping his wings until he was about three fourths of the way down the strip. Then he leaped and in a few powerful down strokes was carried high into the air. 

He fanned his wings out to so he could do some gliding, only pumping them when he started to fall a bit. In no time he passed over the quiet little town of Concord. But Nate had started noticing a troubling amount military activity in the area recently. As he flew he could count several tanks and armored vehicles on their way through the town. Sandbag barriers were erected up and down the main street and soldiers patrolled from building to building. It was like they were preparing for an attack, or another riot.

It was amazing how removed from the world they could get just a few short miles North in Sanctuary Hills. In their little private community, they could get lost in green grass and white picket fences while the rest of the world struggled to breathe and struggled to eat. All over the greater Boston area fights and riots had broken out. Mostly near ration stations. The cost of living had skyrocketed since Nate returned home from the war. It could be nearly four hundred dollars for a small coffee and two doughnuts. Money had become basically worthless and ration cards were worth their weight in gold and blood. He reached down and touched the long the hunting knife he kept attached to his belt. There was always a chance that someone would see his cards and decide today was the day they killed a person to feed their family. 

He angled his flight slightly to the west and passed over the top of the Museum of Freedom. Someday he’d take Shaun there when he was old enough to value the exhibits within. For now, playgrounds and the beach would be better options. He glided past the drive in theater and was surprised to see cars in there. It was far too light out for a movie. He’d have to investigate later; maybe they had special daytime events? The parking garage near the Super Duper Mart was coming into view. Super Duper Marts were the only stores that accepted his military ration cards so he had to fly out to Lexington every time they had to go grocery shopping. He would have much rather shopped at the local corner store in Concord, but the extra hassle was worth sparing their dwindling saving accounts. 

Nate landed on the Super Duper Mart’s landing strip and proceeded down the ramp into the store. It was crowded, like normal. He spotted one of his neighbors in the frozen foods aisle; her bright red wings were hard to miss and had very distinct black stripes. He waved a wing in greeting before heading off to inspect a crate of melons. Nora did say they were out of fruit, but one of these would take up his whole bag. He passed them up and instead picked out a bag of apples. The butcher counter was packed with people shouting at the poor man behind trying to serve them. Nate could see his stock was already dwindling and it was only five in the afternoon. The six o’clock rush hadn’t even come in yet. 

Most of the shelves were threadbare at best, but Nate still managed to pick up most everything they needed. A lot of the things that were on his list were out of the average public’s price range. The baby care shelves were particularly well stocked as formula, diapers and wipes were a costly expense that many couldn’t afford. He put items not in a cart, but directly into the bag that hung from his chest. It was easier to protect the food that way. The last few items were always the hardest to get, milk, eggs and bread. He got lucky and scored the second to last gallon of milk, and the very last carton of eggs. Normally they relied on a milkman to deliver their milk right to their doorstep, but they had run out early in the morning and the milkman never made weekend rounds, so store bought it was. The bread had just been restocked; the poor store worker was nearly trampled just trying to step away. Her feathers were puffed up and she tried not to make eye contact with anyone. 

Nate waited until most of the hands stopped grabbing in a frenzy and reached up to get a loaf from the higher shelf. With his bread in hand he moved to the checkout counter lanes. They were all open, and all jammed. The café to the side sat empty however, and one bored barista stood cleaning a glass. People just didn’t have the money to splurge on coffee or tea. An older man sat at one of the booths and read a newspaper. Nate caught a glimpse of the headline. “Nuclear War Imminent? Tensions Rise Between the US and China.” The papers had been running stories with similar headlines for weeks now. It seemed that every day the two countries were pulling closer and closer to the point of no return. The thought of a nuclear war sent shivers down Nate’s spine. He had to make a conscious effort to make the feathers along his back and shoulders lie down. 

The line he was in moved surprisingly swiftly for how many people were ahead of them. Most of them had the correct amount listed on the ration card, or could cover their totals with wads of cash. However the other lanes had far less lucky and happy customers. Nate could overhear one cashier decline a family’s ration card. It was expired by three days and thus unusable. The man argued that it shouldn’t matter, they were issued one, what difference should it make if they used it today or five days from now? Nate agreed silently but said nothing. This wasn’t a battle he could win. Closer to the front entrance of the store a Protectron Unit was escorting an unruly man from the building. It warned him that it was authorized to use force if he kept resisting. Nate didn’t know what the man had done, but if he had to guess, he had been caught shoplifting. 

He thought back to the big crate of melons, and how each one was three hundred and fifty dollars. Then he wondered just how much of the fresh produce would have to be thrown out in a day or two? People didn’t have the money to pay for over half of this stuff. He began to question just how much would be lost in letting that man steal a bag of oranges or a packet of deli meat. The Super Duper Mart, like many other large grocery stores, would lock its dumpsters to keep out scavengers. It was the ultimate fuck you to the poor and struggling. You weren’t even allowed to scrape and paw through the rotting garbage, even that was off limits. Nate figured that with how bad the riots were getting it wouldn’t be long until people started to break apart the locks with sledge hammers or storm the storefronts for food. Even a Protectron Unit wouldn’t be enough to subdue a mob of fifty or more people. 

The cashier waved Nate forward and he started to deposit his goods on the belt. He could feel eyes on his back when some of the more precious items got rung up. At the end of the transaction his total came to five thousand, seven hundred, and fifty two dollars and sixty three cents. He held out his government issued military ration card. The cashier looked it over and said, “I need to see your ID too.” Nate pulled out his wallet and produced both his driver’s license and his military ID. She looked at the ID’s then at the card one last time before stamping it once and handing everything back over. “You’re good, next!” Nate collected his purchases and made a hasty retreat back to the roof of the store. He took the long way home and checked behind him frequently to make sure he hadn’t been followed. You couldn’t be too careful anymore.

Nora greeted him on the roof and helped him unpack the groceries down in the kitchen. “Nate,” she said and held up a frozen pizza. “What did I tell you about eating healthy?” 

Nate shrugged and put the milk in the fridge. “You already took my Sugar Bombs,” he said. “But this was because I know there are some nights that we are just too tired to cook. I thought maybe a pizza wasn’t the worst thing I could bring home.” 

“I guess not,” she said and put the pizza in the freezer. “How was the store? Chaotic?” 

“You know it,” he replied. “Only saw one person get thrown out though, so not too bad. Spotted our neighbor from across the street.” 

“Lynn? Or Abigale?” 

“I uh, I don’t know. Who has the red wings?” 

“Lynn.” 

“Then it was her.” 

Nora chuckled put the bag back on the hook near the ladder. “You really should make an effort to learn our neighbors’ names, not just their wings.” 

“I’m trying,” he said. “They just…look at me you know? I’m the crazy husband that had to be hauled away in restraints. I’m the…the…” he didn’t want to say “wife beater” but that’s what people thought of him. While the residents of Sanctuary were all military families, not all of them suffered the same problems that Nate had. 

Nora put a hand on Nate’s shoulder and rubbed soothingly. “You’ll get there; you’re a good guy Nate. The best. Everyone will see that. We’re still the new family on the block.” She flicked him with the tip of a wing and smiled. “Come on, I know a certain boy who is dying to see his daddy.” 

Nate smiled and followed Nora to the nursery but stopped at the wash room. “Hold on, I have to move the clothes into the dryer.” 

“Already did that hon, it buzzed while you were out.” 

“But I said I’d-“ 

“You were already doing your fair share, besides, folding is the annoying part. You get to do that in twenty minutes.” 

Nate opened the door to his son’s room and looked down into the crib. Big hazel eyes stared up at him and a toothless mouth opened wide in a giggly smile. The little bundle of blankets started wiggling with excitement. Nate always thought he looked like a little caterpillar. He lifted Shaun from the crib and nuzzled his nose with his own. “How’s my boy?” He unwrapped him and held up and did a gentle spin. Shaun babbled nonsense and laughed when Nate moved him up and down in the air. Shaun wasn’t quite big enough to play with the various toys lined up on the shelf yet. But soon he would be. 

A lot of the toys were actually from Nate’s own childhood; the little toy car was one that his father had carved him when he was just a boy. There was a little blue truck that his grandmother bought him when he was six, it had a moveable scoop and a functioning dump bucket. Nora had placed a small teddy bear on the shelf that used to belong to her as a child. And of course they were gifted new items as well, various balls, a toy alien and a space ship. A small book case sat beside a chair in the room. It was filled with books ranging in difficulty level. Nora hoped their son would be as interested in reading as she was as a kid. Nate sat down in the chair, placed Shaun in his lap, and pulled out one of the picture books. He let Shaun point and grab at the pictures while Nate read the story out loud. 

Of course Shaun couldn’t understand or comprehend anything that Nate was saying, but the sound of his voice helped to calm the boy down. Nate would sit and read to Shaun until he got fussy. Sometimes they would sit for over an hour. He loved it. This is what being a dad was all about. It was these quiet, tender moments of father and son. He knew that in a few short years he’d be watching with pride as Shaun took his first steps, threw his first ball, got on the bus to school for the first time and even graduated. Nate couldn’t wait to teach his boy to fly with Nora, like his parents had done for him. There were so many moments he was waiting for. Their future was going to be so bright. 

Nora watched from the doorway as Nate held Shaun and bounced him up and down while he read. She listened to how soft his voice was, and the soothing coos. He’d finish one book and place it back on the shelf before reaching for another one. And of course she watched her son point at the pictures and babble a string of syllables that didn’t quite equal words yet. But he was learning fast. They had a smart kid, they both knew it. Her neighbors always laughed and said everyone thinks their baby is smart, is special, but Nora knew better. Shaun was going to be a pillar of a community someday. She just knew it. And how could he not? She reasoned. He had her blood in him and the same fire that drove her to finish law school. And he had Nate’s inquisitive eyes, and she could tell he’d have his smarts too. With them both there to guide him she knew he’d grow into a man they’d both be proud of.

“Hey,” Nora said quietly from the door. “It’s time for a bottle.” 

“Alright,” Nate said and set the book aside. Shaun reached for it but Nate had already scooped him up and got ready to hand him over to his mother. Shaun scrunched up his eyes and his eyebrows turned downwards in a pout. He let out a few protesting cries when he was placed in Nora’s arms. But he was soon shushed when Nate spread his wings. Shaun’s eyes grew wide and he giggled. He loved to watch wings unfurl and he grabbed at them. “Come on little man; let’s get some food in your tummy.”

Codsworth was busy hovering around the kitchen; a skillet was grasped in one claw and a wooden spoon in the other. “How does spaghetti sound?” He asked in his ever bright voice. “There was a fine yield of fresh tomatoes from your garden Sir! They will make a lovely sauce.” 

“Spaghetti sounds delightful, thank you Codsworth.” 

“All in a day’s work Sir!” 

After dinner and after they had put Shaun down, Nate and Nora sat together on the couch. The TV was on, turned to the local news. Neither of them particularly wanted to hear about the latest food shortages, the next big riot, and how many people were found murdered in the homes. But they lived in an idyllic bubble of paradise and they needed to keep tabs on the rest of the world. They feared that if they didn’t they’d float away from reality. 

“It’s like the apocalypse has already happened,” Nora murmured.

“No, this is just the lead up, the first couple of chapters before the conflict. Everything and everyone has a breaking point, I fear we’re rushing towards it far too quickly.” 

“Do you,” Nora asked scooting closer to her husband. “Do you think it’ll be as bad as they keep predicting? That the end of the conflict will only happen by nuclear fire?” 

“I hope not,” Nate said and wrapped an arm around Nora. He squeezed her tightly. “But I’m afraid,” he admitted. “I’m afraid for our bright future, that it won’t be here tomorrow, or the day after.” 

“So you think it will be nukes?” 

Nate nodded. “Yes. I think it’ll be nukes. Maybe just a few, maybe too many, I don’t know. We might have taken back Alaska but we made more enemies than friends in doing so. The end of one conflict often births another and we haven’t fixed any of the problems that keep initiating these wars.” 

The man on the TV kept talking about a world that had already spun wildly out of control. But Nate and Nora were no longer listening. 

They were getting ready for bed, it was a Friday night and they could hear some loud music and joyous voices from the house next door. Neither of them could blame their neighbors. Might as well live it up on your weekends. Nate was still recovering and didn’t work while Nora was on maternity leave so they didn’t have jobs to sigh and head off to come Monday. For them, every day was a weekend or a vacation. Nate unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it to the basket. Nora gave a little whistle and Nate could feel his cheeks flush. 

Nora was already stripped down and in her sleep shirt. She was so beautiful, Nate thought. He slid into bed next to her and turned off the lamp on their bedside table. “Hey,” Nate said. “Want to go to the park tomorrow?” 

“The park?” She raised an eyebrow. “Only if you promise to keep your hands to yourself. I don’t feel getting pregnant again.” 

He chuckled low in his throat and kissed her. “Of course, I wouldn’t be that bold in broad daylight.” Nora smiled and kissed him back. “We can go in the morning, before I have to head to Lexington.” 

“I think Shaun would love to play on the swings, and sit in the grass. We can go after breakfast.” 

Nate pulled the covers up under their arms and he draped one of his huge blue wings over Nora. “Night, I love you.” 

She cuddled up closer to him and buried her face in his chest feathers. “I love you too Nate. Good night.” 

~*~

“You look fine honey,” Nora said from the bathroom doorway. Nate had just finished shaving and was applying far too much gel to his hair to get it to lay just perfect. “You clean up nice, you know?”

“Yeah but,” Nate fidgeted in the mirror. He was running a hand over the feathers on this shoulder to and applying oils to the ones on his chest and neck. “This is the first time I’m going to speaking in front of a crowd; I want to look my absolute best.” 

“Well, if that’s the case,” Nora said and slid in front of the mirror, she gave her husband a gentle shove. “Go get some pants on and let me have the mirror. I’ll preen your feathers and put your favorite oil on them. But first I have to look decent too.” 

Nate laughed and left Nora to her morning routine. He slid some pants on, per his wife’s request and walked into the kitchen where Codsworth greeted him cheerily. “Here is your coffee Sir! Heated to your own personal tastes. Tell me, how long will the Missus be? I want her coffee to be perfectly timed as well.” 

“I’m not sure, and thanks Codsworth.” Nate took the mug and sat down at their kitchen island. “She just went into the bathroom; give her at least twenty minutes.” 

“Will do Sir! Would you like your eggs now or with hers?”

“Hers,” he said and started to page through an issue of Grognak the Barbarian that he left there from the day before. He had already read this one, but the new issue of The Silver Shroud wouldn’t come out for another two weeks so it would have to do. Nora had teased him about his hobby of comics, but he insisted that they were no different from the pulp fiction novels she picked up at the grocery store every week. Unfortunately, neither were covered by the government aid they were receiving so they had to pay out of pocket for these small luxuries. Luckily Hubris Comics was struggling as much as the rest of the American people and they hadn’t inflated their products costs to astronomical levels. They understood that nobody would buy a comic if it cost more than dinner. So in order to move the maximum number of books they had to keep prices low. This also meant that they stuffed the issues and radio broadcasts with as much advertising as they could to make up for the lost revenue. 

A knock at the door interrupted his reading and he got up to answer it. He found it strange, it was still early and they weren’t expecting company. From the front window he spotted a Vault-Tec van and sighed. He opened the door and a man with a clipboard was waiting eagerly to greet him. “Hello! Vault-Tec calling!” The man was dressed in a mustard yellow trench coat with matching pants and fedora. He had a white dress shirt and red tie that looked far too tight to be comfortable. “Have you thought about your future lately?” He asked.

“Listen buddy, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the world is sorta falling apart. We don’t have the money for a spot in one of your fancy vaults.” 

“Oh! But this is precisely why I’m here to tell you otherwise! You see, like you mentioned, I’m afraid the end of times is coming, and faster than you think. And, since time is a very precious commodity, I won’t be wasting yours. You don’t have to worry about payment at all Sir, no not at all! You and your family have been preapproved for entrance into your local vault! Vault One-Eleven!” The salesman had a very wide smile on his face, which dropped when he noticed that Nate wasn’t paying attention. “Uh, Sir?” 

“Mm? Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. What was it you were trying to sell me?” The man had beautiful golden wings; they reflected the light and were quite distracting. Nate even noticed white stripes running across the flight feathers. Though, Nate definitely wouldn’t have worn the yellow coat with them. There was just too much yellow. It was a bit gaudy. 

The Vault-Tec representative cleared his throat. “I was saying that you and your family have been selected and cleared for entry into Vault One-Eleven!” 

Nate raised an eyebrow. “Really,” he asked, “and how did we qualify for such an honor? I heard rooms in a vault could run close to eight-hundred thousand dollars. We certainly don’t have that kind of money lying around.” 

“Why, it says here that you’ve been approved due to your considerable service to our great nation! A veteran, why, I didn’t know! Thank you for your service Sir!” 

“Mhmm sure,” Nate said. “So are these vaults really so great?” 

“Oh yes, top of the line. “A Better Life, Underground” is our motto here at Vault-Tec. Each one comes furnished with all the finest furniture and amenities a person could ask for. TV, radio, working showers and toilets, electricity, kitchens, a hydroponics center staffed by professional botanists that will grow fresh food for everyone in the vault, it’s all included at no extra charge. There’s even a medical center with doctors and all the latest equipment. I can think of no place better to ride out the impeding atomic chaos.” 

“What about space to fly?” Nate flexed his wings out of habit. “Living underground doesn’t seem very accommodating for a species with wings. If we were meant to live underground we’d be moles.” 

“Did I forget to mention the grand atriums of each vault? Here’s a brochure, you can look at all the pictures. Our top designers wanted a space that would feel open and natural. We spared no expense! Trust me; there will be plenty of space to stretch out those lovely wings of yours.” He handed Nate a few brochures to look at. “Now, mind you, the pictures in there are of different vaults, no two are the same, but all are similar in style and grandeur.” 

Nate took the brochures and flipped through them, they did look top of the line. “You said my whole family could come too right? It’s not just me?” 

“Of course! It says here you’ve been approved for yourself, your wife, and one infant son. You’ll have to leave your domestic robot behind of course. But that is a small price to pay for guaranteed protection from the nuclear fallout and aggressive mutants that will surely arise.” 

“What do I have to do?” Nate asked finally. “It sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Can’t beat free.” 

“Uh, no, no you can’t.” The man held out a clipboard with a pen attached to it. “I just need you to fill out some missing information here and you’re good to go!” Nate took the clipboard and began scribbling down the required information. “You know,” he said, “I’ve been trying to reach this household for days. But each time I showed up your Mr. Handy unit informed me that both you and your wife were out.” 

“Yeah, sorry about that, we like to fly as much as possible before the leaves drop.” 

“Well, you’re lucky I caught you!” 

“Why?” 

He looked around nervously and said, “Between you and me, I think total atomic annihilation is a lot closer than you think. Who knows if there would even be a house to knock on come tomorrow?” The man took the pen and clipboard back from Nate and tipped his hat. “As soon as I enter your information in my van you’ll be all set. Have a good rest of your day now!” The salesman turned and started to walk down the driveway, his feathers were standing up, like he was anxious or scared of something. 

Nate shut the door and returned to his coffee and reading. “Who was that dear?” He could hear Nora ask from the other room.

“Some guy from Vault-Tec. Apparently we qualified for a space in the vault on the hill. All of us.” 

“How’d we do that?” 

“My military service, apparently. I wonder if the rest of this neighborhood was also preapproved?” That would make sense; the vault was built just a short jog away. He wasn’t sure how many people it could hold, but Sanctuary Hills had quite a few families. Perhaps a few people from Concord would be selected as well? If so, he hoped they could reach here in time. He wasn’t sure the enemy would give much warning, the time to head for shelter would be short. 

“See? Is there anything raising your voice can’t get you? Appeal to the right crowd and they’ll give you a house, robot and access to a vault. Impressive.” Nora appeared out of the bathroom, a plume of steam following her out. She motioned for Nate to sit down on the foot rest by the couch. “Come on, I’ll do your wings before breakfast.” Normally they would stimulate the oil glands at the base of the wing during preening but this time Nora had a bottle of artificial oil with a lavender scent. It was Nate’s favorite. He sat down in front of her and she began the long task of smoothing out feathers and rubbing the oil deep into his skin and smoothing it around the long feathers. She knew how important proper wing care was to Nate. He would spend hours keeping his wings and hers in the best condition. Nora couldn’t think of a single person that had softer, shinier wings than her and husband. “Are you going to fly to the event?” 

“I was planning on it, why?” 

She snorted and said, “Absolutely not. You take the stupid car or all of this will be for nothing.” 

“Gas is seventy-five hundred dollars a gallon right now; I’m not taking the damn car.” 

“Then call a cab, there’s no point in all this grooming if you show up looking like a windswept turkey.” 

Nate sighed. “You’re right. But a cab will cost at least that much or more.” 

“Get the military to pay for it. It’s their event after all. Send them the bill later.” She was nearly done with his scapulars and was about to start his lesser coverts when they heard Shaun crying from the nursery. 

Codsworth came out of the nursey and said, “Ah, I do believe Young Shaun needs a bit of a well…human touch at the moment.” 

“I’ll go,” Nora said and stood up. “Codsworth can keep going with your wings.” 

“Nah, I got him,” Nate said. “You go get something to eat. The event isn’t for a few hours anyways. Who knows, maybe they’ll just get all dirty at the park anyways.” He got up and walked down the hall to where his son was crying. “Hey there little man, what’s the matter?” 

Shaun immediately stopped crying and wiggled around. Nate reached in to tickle his son’s neck. He made soft cooing sounds and laughed as Shaun reached for the black feather that dangled from a leather cord on Nate’s neck. It was his mate feather. It was customary to exchange a feather with your mate; Nora wore one of his blue ones around her neck as well. “You want this?” He leaned down into the crib and tickled him with it. “Here, you can’t have this one, but you can have one of mine.” He plucked a covert from his wing and held it out for Shaun to grasp. The little hand gripped the feather and he squealed with delight. Nate spread his wings out wide and covered the crib with them, blocking out a lot of the light. Then he spun the little mobile around so the spaceships chased the stars and the planets around. Shaun’s eyes lit up and he cooed at the spinning objects. “Are you going to be an astronaut someday little man?” Shaun giggled and kicked his feet in response. 

“Nate? Nate come quick something’s happened!” Nora’s voice called from the living room. There was a panicked tone to her voice that made Nate instantly uncomfortable. Nora wasn’t one for panicking. “Hurry! Bring Shaun! Oh my god!” 

The wing barrier was removed much to Shaun’s displeasure but the baby didn’t have time to complain because he was swept up into Nate’s arms. He hurried out into the living room where Nora stood, eyes transfixed on the television. All her feathers were fluffed up and a hand was pressed against her mouth. “They say New York’s been hit by a bomb, D.C and Pennsylvania too.” 

“Oh my god,” was all Nate could say. The reporter was very somber, this wasn’t a drill and it wasn’t a prank. They were expecting the rest of the East Coast to be carpet bombed in under ten minutes. That’s when the air raid sirens went off and the TV broadcast lost signal. Nate handed Shaun over to Nora, their son had started crying at the loud noise and he clung to Nora, one hand gripped her shirt tightly and the other refused to let go of Nate’s blue feather. “Get outside! To vault, now!” Nate ordered. 

He hesitated for a second behind Nora; he looked back at Codsworth, who was carrying a pot of coffee meant for Nora. “Go!” Codsworth said. “Protect your family Sir! See that they are safe. I will, as they say, hold the fort while you are gone.” 

“Thank you Codsworth, and I’m sorry.” Nate bolted out the front door and met his wife at the end of their driveway. All around them people were screaming and running. Some were trying to shove precious belongings into cars while others were simply running for the hills. There was a steady stream of people heading for the path to the vault. Nate wrapped a wing around his wife protectively and started guiding them to the vault. He was ready to shield them from the damn bomb itself if he had to.

As they ran Nate could see people taking to the sky. But he was certain that no matter hard they pumped their wings they couldn’t outrun a nuke. Vertibirds joined in the chaos, churning the air and dropping soldiers down to the streets. A few were in power armor; most were in standard riot gear. Nate heard one of them crash in the distance. The soldiers tried to direct the crowds but Nate could tell they were just as scared as the rest of us. Nate spotted a flash of red through the crowd and saw Lynn and her wife Abigale holding each other just a few feet outside their house. The couple seemed immobilized by fear, or perhaps they were surrendering to their fate. Nate had to look away.

“Come on, we’re almost there,” Nate said to his wife and gripped her tighter.

“How do you know they’ll let us in?” 

“That Vault-Tec guy said it would only take a few minutes to get our information into the system, we’ll be fine.” He hoped they’d be fine, he prayed they be fine. They dashed across the bridge and over the small babbling brook that didn’t seem to know the world was about to end. The air raid sirens continued to drown out the noise of the rest of the world. There was a crowd of people that had formed in front of the chain link fence around Vault One-Eleven. More soldiers stood guard beside a man in a Vault-Tec lab coat. That man had a checklist and was denying entry to many of the people. 

Nate forgot all of his manners charged into the group headfirst. Anyone who didn’t move was swept aside by his large, strong, blue wing. He parted the crowd and stepped up to the man with the clipboard. “I’m on the list,” Nate shouted. “I’m on the list!” 

While the Vault-Tec man was confirming Nates claim a soldier was chasing off a familiar figure. His golden feathers were raised in a complex display of fear, anger, and desperation. He fluttered into the sky after a soldier in power armor lifted a gun and threatened to shoot him. He disappeared over the trees and vanished in the direction of Sanctuary Hills. 

“You’re clear to enter,” the man said and the gate opened just enough to allow Nate and his family through. They could hear the screams and pleas from the people now separated from them. Many of them were people that Nate and Nora knew, people they passed on a day to day basis. 

They didn’t slow down and continued to run up the hill until they reached a platform with several other scared individuals standing close together. Nate guided Nora to the platform and they stood in anxious anticipation for what would happen next. Vault-Tec employees were shouting to each other, arguing over whether or not to lower the platform. One argued that they were missing at least three more families and they had to wait. But the other disagreed saying it was now or never. 

Someone made a break for the fence and tried to fly over. There was the pop of gun and they crashed to the ground just inside the fencing. The body was limp, Nate wasn’t sure if it had been a kill shot or not. 

Then it happened. There was a flash of light so bright that Nate instantly shut his eyes. He could feel Nora bury her face into his chest and press Shaun against him. He covered them both with his wings and held tight as the sound of the bomb rang in their ears. “Get these people down! Now!” He heard someone shout. The platform started its descent down and at that moment it couldn’t go fast enough. Nate dared to open his eyes and saw the mushroom cloud rising up to greet the angry red sky. The shock wave followed and he could see trees bend and give to the harsh wind. The foliage that just twenty four hours ago they were admiring was swiftly combusting as the winds rocketed through the forest. Nate wasn’t sure if they’d make it in time.

He ducked his head and placed his forehead against Nora’s. “I love you,” he said to her. If these were the last words he ever spoke, he’d be happy. Darkness greeted them as the shockwave passed overhead, missing them by mere seconds. Nate pressed his hands to Nora’s ears to block out the deafening screams of those who weren’t fortunate enough to be on the platform. The elevator kept going down, down, and down. The temperature shifted dramatically, their bodies were all still hot from fleeing and from the sudden burst of energy released when the bomb detonated. He held Nora close and felt her shaking in his arms. “Hey,” he said, his voice didn’t sound nearly loud enough against the ringing in his ears. “Hey,” he tried again, “we made it.” 

Nora looked into his eyes, she was so scared and it reflected in her brown eyes. Nate pressed his hand to her face and he thumbed away tears. “If we had been any later-” 

“Shhh, no don’t think like that. We made it and that’s what matters.” He looked down at Shaun, his little face was scrunched up in displeasure but he stopped crying. Maybe he sensed that something wasn’t right, and that he needed to be quiet. In his little fist he still had Nate’s blue feather clutched between his fingers. At that moment Nate didn’t think anything could get him to drop it. “How you holding up little man?” Shaun looked at him with big wide eyes. “Are you ready for your new life underground?” 

The elevator stopped and another set of gates opened. Armed security guards wearing armor over a blue jumpsuit helped them off of the platform. They gave clear, calm instructions that they were to head up the stairs and across the bridge to enter Vault One-Eleven properly. A few of them said, “Welcome home.” 

Nate and Nora followed the others up into the vault. It was cold, but well lit. A poster bearing the same phrase, “Welcome home” hung just above the bridge. “I guess this is home now,” Nora said. A few people in blue jumpsuits stood near the entrance. Nate could overhear them talking, a few were commenting on how few made it to safety. Others were thankful they happened to already be in the vault when the notice came through. Apart from the people dressed in blue Nate also spotted a few people in long white lab coats. They were introduced as the vault’s doctors and would be leading the group from here on out. They were each given a vacuum sealed bag that contained a new pressed vault suit and a pair of black boots. 

They were led into changing rooms and told to discard their contaminated clothing from the world above into plastic bins. Nate shut the door behind him and unwrapped the vault suit. He stared at it awkwardly and tried to figure out how to put it on. It looked far too small for his frame. He found a zipper and unzipped the suit from the front and stepped in. There were little clasps near his ankles that held the suit firmly in place while he pulled it up over the rest of his body. It was a tight fit and the back was mostly nonexistent. There was a large scoop cut out of the back to allow for most wing sizes. Nate’s took up the whole space available. The collar was a bit snug for Nate’s liking but he assumed it would loosen up as he wore it. He clasped the final snap on the collar and looked at himself in the mirror. He nearly broke out laughing. _Ridiculous,_ he thought, _I look ridiculous._

The suit was nearly the same color has his wings and the front was adorned with number one hundred and eleven in bright yellow, shiny fabric. The same metallic yellow fabric was used for a stripe that went down to his waist and then around like a belt. There was an odd sensor over his chest and another on his left side. He had no clue what they were for so he didn’t touch them. One each shoulder there was the logo for Vault-Tec because even in the face of the apocalypse advertising deals weren’t passed up. Nate slid on the pair of boots that came with his suit and stepped outside. Thankfully everyone else looked as ridiculous as he did. He didn’t quite understand why they all needed to wear these suits and why they all had to match. It seemed a bit cultish to him.

He met back up with Nora in the main entrance where the doctor was gathering everyone together to explain the next step. “You see, you people were far too close to the detonation for our liking. Before you enter the vault we’ll need to perform a physical and decontamination. Our pods in the next room will give you a full cleansing, including radiation removal. It would be a shame to save you from the devastation above only to have you die of radiation poisoning.” 

Above. Nate didn’t even want to think about what was happening above them right now. The people dying of radiation burns and those blinded by the flash. There would be people who survived of course and they’d be left with a world too irradiated to support proper life. He was informed, as were most soldiers and even some civilians about what would happen in the event of atomic war. The background radiation levels would stay high for years, anywhere within the blast radius would be deadly. Those who survived would have to deal with the fallout and acid rains that would poison most above ground sources of clean drinking water. It would become a hellscape of sick, wounded, and desperate people. Nate shuddered and tried to clear those thoughts from his mind. Instead he followed the flow of people into another hallway. They could all see the room ahead and the decontamination pods that were waiting for them. 

“You folks really are lucky you were selected for this vault,” the doctor said as they walked. “Not that they all aren’t absolutely wonderful, but this one really is top of the line.” 

“How long will we have to stay down here?” Nate asked. Some of the early estimates said that the vaults could be cleared to open in as little as twenty years. He wasn’t sure if he could handle living underground for much longer than that. The claustrophobic feeling was already seeping into his bones. But he also didn’t know if he could risk living above ground in such harsh conditions. He wouldn’t leave his family, even if that meant never seeing the sky again. 

“Oh we will go over all that in orientation, don’t you worry. Now, if you’d please step into your pod so we can start the decontamination process. Once complete you will form three lines over there,” he gestured with a wing to an open space just beyond the pods, “where we will begin the physical. We have your medical records on file, so do not worry about giving us your history.” 

Nate looked at the pod and shrugged. It was supposedly state of the art and it’s not like they had any other choice. He couldn’t tell if the tight feeling in his stomach was from the radiation he encountered or nerves. Regardless he climbed into the pod and tried to relax. It was a tight fit, but he managed to get comfortable. The seat wasn’t built to be soft and inviting, but it supported his back and had enough space to allow his wings to be comfortably folded behind him. He glanced out of the glass window and saw Nora climbing into hers. She still had Shaun in her arms and he could hear the doctor assure her that the pod was safe for their son as well. The hatch on her door swung shut and Nate took a deep breath as the pod whirred to life. He could see that Nora had placed a hand on her glass when the computer began to speak. Nate reached out and mimicked the gesture. 

“Resident secure,” he heard a female computerized voice say. “Occupant vitals, normal.” _Well that’s good._ “Procedure, complete.” _Wait, that’s it? But it didn’t do anything._ “In five…four…three…two…” Nate felt a sharp prick as multiple needles seemed to dig into his skin and then release. The voice got fuzzier as it counted down and Nate could see frost creep up the glass window. He removed his hand before the ice could reach him. The temperature in the pod dropped dramatically.By now he was fairly certain that this was not a decontamination pod. His vision went white and his senses seemed to stop. The last thing he heard was the automated voice say “one.” Then he was gone. 

Nate felt the sharp pain again of needles that bit into his skin. His eyes fluttered open but he couldn’t make out much past the icy glass. His whole body felt cold and stiff, and he was aware of his breath coming out in short puffs. “Manual override initiated,” the female voice said. “Cryogenic stasis suspended.” _Cryo what? So I was frozen…_ His body began to get some feeling back into it and he was able to flex his fingers. 

The ice on his window began to recede as the pod warmed up. He could see Nora’s pod right across from him. It looked she was waking up too. Relief flooded through his body, at least he wasn’t alone. He heard voices outside, but he couldn’t see who was talking. Those doctors would be getting an earful, that was for sure.

“This one, here,” the mysterious voice said. “That’s the target. Open it up.” Two people appeared in Nate’s line of sight. Neither of them looked like Vault-Tec staff. One was dressed in what looked to be a white hazmat suit and the other was in a dark leather jacket. They opened up his wife’s pod and he could hear her breathing heavily.

“Is it over?” She asked. “Are we ok?” 

The stranger in the hazmat suit replied, “Almost, everything is going to be ok.” They started to reach for Shaun for Nora wouldn’t let go. “Please, I need you to let go of the baby.” 

“No,” Nora protested. “I got him, I’m fine.” Nate started to pound on his door at this point. But nobody paid any attention to him. Except for Nora, her eyes flew to meet his and she could read the panic on his face. Something was wrong, something was horribly wrong.

“Please,” the stranger said again. “I just need him for a moment, we have to check to see if he’s-”

The man in the leather jacket interrupted. “Let the boy go,” he said and drew a gun. “I’m only going to tell you once.” Nate pounded harder, but it had no effect. His pod door stayed locked tight. He began to look around the pod for a release button or a switch, anything that could lead to his freedom. 

Nora saw the gun and fluffed her feathers, she clutched Shaun tightly. “No,” she said. The confines of the pod didn’t let her pull her wings forward to cover herself and Shaun, but even if they had, wings couldn’t stop a bullet.

The shot rang clear in Nate’s ears and he stopped looking for a way out. He was frozen in place, but not by the cryo pod. He watched as Nora’s arms went limp and the body of their son nearly tumbled to the floor. The person in the hazmat suit caught him and started to rock him back and forth, shushing him and trying to keep him calm. Nate pounded one last time, but there wasn’t any strength left in him. The door on Nora’s pod closed and he watched frost creep up her too still body. 

Whoever it was that shot her walked up next to his pod and looked in. They made eye contact for the briefest of moments and Nate could see no remorse on the man’s face. “At least we still have backup,” he said and turned to follow his companion out the way they came. 

Nate continued to struggle and pound against the door, his voice hadn’t returned but he was certain he’d just end up wailing if he tried to use it. He felt the needles dig into his skin again and the numbing cold spread throughout his body. “Cryogenic sequence reinitialized,” the computer voice said calmly. Nate let out one choked cry before the world went white once more.

~*~

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, first off I want to thank you for reading this chapter.  
> Intro chapters are always the hardest because not too much is going on.  
> I really wanted to go deeper with Nate's life prewar. I felt like the game really glossed over the fact that he had a life before the wasteland, so I hope this little glimpse was worth it.  
> I tag characters as they appear, so be too alarmed that the pairing tagged is Mac/Nate/Hancock but MacCready and Hancock aren't listed as characters. I'll get to them, I promise.  
> The whole reason I'm writing this fic is because I love wing au's with my heart and soul but there weren't any for this fandom yet. So, I decided to change that. I've been developing the world for this story for about nine months now, but only recently had the time to start writing the story. I really want to show how the world and how the wasteland changes when people have wings. And probably more importantly, how the wasteland changed how people with wings behave.  
> I'm going to try my hardest to make the plot interesting, so it's not just a re-telling of the main game, but I will be following the same basic set up.  
> I hope you've enjoyed what you read so far, and I'm really interested in hearing feedback and suggestions. I'm always looking for critique and comments and I love interacting with my readers. Thank you for your time!
> 
> As a side note, I was really torn about what to call this fic. Right now I'm using an obscure adjective that hasn't been used in ages. The other title I had in mind was "Wings of the Wasteland" and if people like that title more I could be easily persuaded to change it. I mean, I might still change it to that if I feel it works better.


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